morton



(No Model.) 3 SheetsSheet 1.

E. W. MORTON.

TIME REGISTERING STAMP.

N0. 445,670. Patented Feb. 3,1891.

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2 u e e h S S Lb e e h S 3 N 0 T R O E u d 0 M O m TIME REGISTERINGSTAMP.

Patented Feb. 3,1891.

RECEIVED E.W.MORTON TIME STAMP SER15JI=59AMB9 N EW YORK NX q/vi/twaooeyla% @maa/Q n4: mm: PEYEIS co, PNOTO-L1THO,, WASHING (No Model.) 3'Sheets-Sheet 3.

E. W. MORTON.

TIME REGISTERING STAMP.

No. 445,570. Patented FebfB, 1.891.

I llllllllllllill wQi/ nwoow gwvamm UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDVIN XV. MORTON. OF VHITE PLAINS. ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TOJOHN H. ALLEN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

TlME-REGISTERING STAMP.

SPEGIFEGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 445,570, dated February3, 1891.

Application filed September 21, 1889. Serial No. 132M702. (N0 model.)

T0 to whom it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, EDWIN \V. MORTON, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of \Vhite Plains, lVestche-ster county, New York, haveinvented anew and usefulImprovement in 'lime-Registering Stamps, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in registering devices to be usedin combination with a time or other mechanism and is usually applied toa time-stamp. The object of my improvement is to provide a mechanismthat will record the year, month, day, hour, minute, the ante-meridian,meridian, and postmeridian, or any other matter which may be desired torecord. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which the same numbers refer to the same partsthroughout.

Figure 1 shows a side elevation of the stamp, with the hammer-holder insection and part of the casing of the stamp and time mechanism brokenaway. Fig. 2 shows a front elevation of stamp. Fig. is a plan viewofsaine. Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the stamp and time mechanism withone side of casing and also one side of frame of the device removed.Fig. 5 shows a front elevation of the stamp with the front of easingremoved and also the ribbon-roller. Fig. (3 shows a vertical section oftype-wheels and showing swinging frame in full. Fig. 7 shows a sideelevation of registering mechanism. Fig. 8 is an end elevation oftype-wheels, showing frameand adjacent parts in section. Fig. 9 is aside eleva tion of type-wheels and adjacent parts of registeringmechanism, the frame being in section. Fig. 10 is a plan view of thestampfield. Fig. 11 is a view of stamp-impression. Fig. 12 is a sideelevation of two type-wheels, showing the relative position of notchesand type with adjacent parts and mechanism. Fig. 13 is a detailed view,with part of easing broken away, of the ribbon and operating mechanismtherefor. Fig. 15' is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 14: shows anelevation of each of the type-wheels.

The casing of the stamp, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, is constructedof four walls and a bottom 1, 2, 3, a, and 5, united firmly together oreastin one piece. The top 6 is made of one piece and is hinged to thecasing at 7, resting on the side walls of the casing 2 and 4. To thistop or table is firmly fastened an arm 8. The end of this arm isprovided with a sleeve, in which is fitted a reciprocating rod 9,provided at the lower end with a platen 10, usually shod with rubber,and at the other end having a knob 11. A spiral spring 12 surrounds therod 9 and is incased within the sleeve 61, the bottom of said springbearing upon an interior otfset at the bottom of the sleeve and ashoulder upon the rod resting upon the top of the spring. The platenwill thus be maintained atits point of highest elevation.

The clock mechanism 1 usually prefer to mount in an independent frame inwhich the arbors have their bearings; but this frame may be dispensedwith and the walls of the casing perforated to form bearings for thearbors.

By reference to Figs. 4 and 5 itwillbe seen that the time mechanismconsists of the usual power-gear and an escapeinent, these two beingunited by a mutilated gear, which operates a crank. In this movement 13represents the driving-spring, and 14 the arbor, to which it is attachedat one end. The ratchet device by which the power is applied to thetrain is not shown.

15 is a gear keyed to the shaft 1-l and meshing with the lantern-pinionl6,which is keyed to the shaft 17. To said shaft is also keyed the gear18, which meshes with the lanternpinion 19, keyed to shaft 20, to whichis also keyed the gear 21, which meshes with the lantern-pinion 22,keyed to the arbor 23.

In said arbor a crank 24 is bent. Upon the arbor 23 is keyed themutilated gear 25, the teeth of which mesh with the lantern-pinion 26 ofthe escapeinent-train, which is of the usual form used in clocks.

In the structure being described in this specification the time-stamp isdesigned to 5 register differences of one minute. It is hence necessaryto move the minute-type wheel every minute. The structure, which will behereinafter described, by which the minutewheel, together with the othertype-wheels, is TOO moved is operated by the crank 24. Hence said crankmust make one complete throw every minute. It will be seen that duringone half of the revolution of gear 25 it is controlled by theescapement, while during the other half it moves under the direct actionof the spring without control; hence instantaneously. Thus the arbor 23must be so geared that if wheel 25 had a full set of teeth it wouldrevolve once in two minutes; but as half of said teeth are-removed thearbor 23 and the crank 24 make one complete revolution in one minute andoperate the type-wheel, as desiredthatis to say, the period during whichthe teeth of the mutilated gear engage the lantern-pinion of theescapement is fifty-nine and a fraction seconds, while the second halfof the revolution of the arbor 23 takes place in the remaining fractionof a second.

The registering device is shown in'Figs. 6 to 11, and consists of aframe 29 or any desired support, which is usually cast in one piece. Itis provided with brackets 30 30, between which is fixed a type-wheelshaft 31. On this shaft is journaled a series of wheels of an evendiameter, varying in width as the type on the face thereof may require,as shown in Figs. 10 and 11. The peripheries of these wheels are facedwith type of an arrangement to meet the requirements of the registry.Between the type are depressions 35 of varying depth. These operate asratchetteeth and are engaged by the pawls of the swinging frame andstationary brake-springs on opposite sides of the wheels hereinafterdescribed.

A rocking frame constructed as shown in Figs.6 to 9 is made in the formof a fork, the ends 37 and 37 being journaled to the shaft 31 outside ofthe type-Wheels. On the rear end of said fork are the brackets 44 and44, whichproject from it and in which is journaled the rockshaft 38, towhich are secured the pawls 39, 40, 41, 42,-and 43, and engaging thetype-wheels, as hereinafter more fully described. Encircling the shaft38 is a spiral spring 45, which is secured to said shaft at one end andthe bracket 44 at the other, and by a torsional strain presses the pawlsupon the type-wheels. To the rear end of the fork is secured a slottedarm 46, which may be made of two bars or pins, as shown in Figs. 8 and9. The crank 24 engages the slot in said arm and moves it and the forkand pawls back and forth. The pawls '39 4O 41 42 43 are rigidly securedto the shaft 38. They are usually of'difierent lengths and are bent soas to be in difierent planes. Pawl 41, which moves the wheel indicatingthe units of minutes, is the lowest; 40, which moves the wheelindicating the tens of minutes, is next above the unit-pawl; 39,whichmoves the wheel indicating hours, is the next above the tens-ofminutespawl; pawl 42,which,moves the typewheel indicating the postand antemeridian, is the highest pawl, and paw-1 43 drops entirely below thelevel of the face of the typewheels and also the otherpawls, and engageswith the pins 60 on the side of a wheel indicating the meridian. beaccomplished by making the pawls of different lengths as well as ofdifferent elevation.

Secured to' the frame of the registering mechanism on the side of thetype-wheels opposite to that on which they are engaged by the pawls arethe spring-brakes 47 47, &c. They are equalin number with thetype-Wheels and bear upon the surface thereof, and engage notches in thesurface of said wheels, and hold the wheels stationary. The notches withwhich these spring-brakes or check-stops engage are so located that thetype-wheels will be held in such position in the field of the The sameresult may stamp as to present a perfect line of type for printing.

The construction of the registering devices as applied to a time-stampis as'follows:v Figs.

6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 show the various views of the type-wheels. In Fig. 6the wheels are shown in section, journaled on the shaft 31, and arenumbered as follows: \Vheels 50,51, 52,53, 54, 55, 56, 57, and 49,indicate, respectively, as shown in Fig. 10, the month, the tens of thedays of the month,the units of the days of the month, the hour of theday, the tens of .will be seen that pins 58 59 are passed through theshaft 31 on the outside of the wheels 53, 54, 55, and 56, thusseparatingthem from the adjoining wheels, so as to avoid the danger of the latterwheels being moved when the former are turned by the clock mechanism.The motion of the wheels 49, 50, 51, and 52 has been described and neednot be further mentioned. Those moved by the clock mechanism will now bedescribed. Wheel 55 is used to indicate units of minutes, and has on itssurface ten type-surfaces, being numerals from 1 to9 and zero. Betweenthe type-faces are indentations, all of which are of equal depth withthe exception of that between the type-faces 2 and 3, which is deeperthan the others. Wheel 54 is the next adjoining one on the left, asshown in Figs. 6 and 7, and is used to indicate tens of minutes. Thiswheel has twelvetype-faces on its surface and indentations between saidtype-faces, all of which are of equal depth with the exception of two,which are on opposite sides of the wheel. The numerals on this wheel are1 2 3 4 5 O1 2 3 4 5 0,.and the indentations are between the figures 3and 4 on each ICO IIS

side of the wheel. Wheel 53 is used to represent hours, and has upon itssurface twelve typefaces, from 1 to 12, inclusive. Between saidtype-faces are indentations, allof them of equal depth except one-thatbetween the types 3 and 4., so located in consequence of the relationbetween the pawls and the printing-line of the type-wheels. Vheel 56 islocated on the left of wheel 55 in Fig.6, and is used to indicate theante-meridian and postmeridian. The relative motions of these wheelswill now be described. They are all moved by the pawls 39, 40, 4:1, 42,and 4-3,which are rigidly secured together, and, as above described, areso bent as to stand one below the other. The deep notches in the varioustypewheels above mentioned are of unequal depth in the various wheels.That in wheel 55 is the deepest, those in wheel 54 next, those in wheel53 next, and those in wheel 56 next. The wheel 56 has on its side fourpins 60,which project therefrom, and which are engaged by thedownwardly-bent pawl 4-3. Vhen the pawls are operated, the pawl 41,resting upon the periphery of wheel 55 and being the lowest pawl of aseries,will retain all the others in an elevated position above theirvarious wheels and out of engagement with their several indentations,until said pawl falls into the deep notch of wheel This will cause pawl40 to engage all indentations of the wheel 51, and as the pawls aremoved will turn said wheel forward one step. If it should happen thatthe indentation below the pawl 40 in wheel 5%,

should be one of the deep indentations in said wheel, the pawl will sinklow enough in said indentation to allow the pawl 39 to engage one of theindentations in the wheel 5-3, so that said wheel may be moved forwardone step by the motion of the pawl. If it should happen that theindentation into which the pawl 39 falls is the deep indentation'ofwheel 53, then pawl 42, which is the next highest one, will fall uponand engage an indentation in the wheel 56 and move said wheel forwardwhen the pawls are moved. The indentations in the wheel 56 are soarranged in relation to the pins 60 on the side of said wheel that theywill stand with three indentations in said wheel between each two pins.

Wheel 56 is provided with twelve typefaces A. M, M., and P. M.,successively, in four groups. Whenever the pawl of the wheel 53 fallsinto the deep indentation in said wheel and permits the pawl of wheel 56to engage its indentations and move it forward and exposes the symbolM.,then the pawl 43 will engage one of the pins 60, and the next motionof the pawls, which will take place with the next minute, will move themeridian-wheel forward and bring the symbol P. M. into theprinting-field.

An examination of Fig. Dand of the foregoing description of thetype-wheels will disclose the fact that several of the wheels areprovided with twelve type-faces, while wheel 55 has but 10. This wouldcause confusion in the printing but for the arrangement hereinafterdescribed.

The unit of minute-wheel must revolve onetenth of a revolution at eachthrow of the pawls, and the tens-ofminutes and hour wheels must makeone-twelfth of a revolution at each throw of the pawl. The accord ofthese wheels is accomplished by the device shown in Fig. 12. Theindentations of the wheels and 54 are made shorter than those of wheel55, and so located that the pawls, which actuallytravel at each throw adistance sufficient to turn the wheels one-tenth of a revolution, will,when they fall into their notches, engage and begin to turn the wheel 55before they engage the notches of the other wheels, and will then takeup the other wheels and move them the remainder of the throw of thepawls, the lead of the notch in 55 being the difference between theone-twelfth section of the type-wheel and one-tenth section. It will bereadily seen that this method of synchronizing the motion of thetype-wheels might be employed, no matter what difference there might bebetween the number of types on the wheels.

The inking mechanism consists of a ribbon wound upon spools 62,journaled in brackets 63 63 of the cover 6, as shown in Fig. 13, andheld in said journal by a device which will now be described.

The bracket 63 is provided with notches 6t (St on either end, into whichthe shafts of the reels tit. Pivoted to each of said brackets above thebottom of the notches 64: Gtare fingers 65 65, in one side of which asemicircular notch 66 is out, which fits upon and holds the shaft of thereel in the notches 64 6t.

67 is a spring bearing upon the back of the finger 65 and holding it inengagement with the shaft 66. When it is desired to insert the spools 6262, they may be pressed into the notches 64: 64 and will be caught andheld there by the fingers 65.

The periphery of one end of each spool is cut with ratchet-teeth, and apawl 68 engages them, which is pivoted to one end of the bellcrank lever69, which is pivoted in the cover 6 at 70, the other arm of saidbell-crank lever standing, at little above the level of theprinting-table, and in such position that it will be struck by theplaten when it descends, and as it is moved downward will operate theratchets and turn the spool, thus drawing off a fresh portion of ribbon.The bell-crank lever is held up to its point of highest elevation byaspring 71, secured to it and bearing against the interior of the cover.\Vhen the ribbon has been completely wound upon one reel, the reels maybe removed and rematter of the field of the stamp. This shaft isprovided with a knob projecting beyond the casing of the stamp, saidknob being provided with faces of type thereon, indicating the characterof the type or Word upon the corresponding faces of the shaft. It isalso provided within the registering-frame of the stamp with theratchets 73, engaged by a check-stop 74. On the surface of the frame ofthe registering device 29 is securely fastened a plate'or die 75, havingwords in type raised thereon and spaces in which the letters upon. theregistering device and also upon the shaft 72 may stand. All the typesmust be arranged in the same'horizontal plane.

Referring to Fig. 9, the lantern-pinion 26 is provided with a concavedepression 76 on its periphery of radius equal to the mutilated gear 25,and of such relation to the mutilated gear that when the'last tooth ofthe gear leaves the pinion and the half-ring which is riveted to theunder side of said mutilated gear, and which has aplane surface 011 itsperiphery, it will come in contact with said depression and stop themotion of the pinion 26 and hold it stationary until a tooth of themutilated gear comes in contact with said pinion. The depression 7 G isso located upon the periphery of the pinion 26 that when said depressionis caught by the semicircular segment on the under side of the mutilatedgear 25 and held stationary thereby while said gear is making a half-revolution the bars of said pinion will be in proper position to beengaged by the first tooth of the mutilated gear succeeding the blankspace in said gear. I have not claimed in this application the bottomprinciple of the registering device, but only its application to a timemechanism. This principle is the subject of another application filedherewith.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a registering device, the combination of a series of wheelsmounted upon a shaft, each of said wheels being provided upon itsperiphery with indentations of Varyin g depth, and type or other devicefor registering or indicating,with a rocking or reciprocating frameprovided with a series of pawls suitably mounted to engage theindentations in the wheels and arranged so that one or more of saidpawls may engage the indentations of one or more wheels while the othersare out of engagement, with a time mechanism consisting of a time-trainand an escapement, one of the gears of which is mutilated,

' and the arbor upon which said gear is mounted being provided with acrank which engages 60.

the rocking frame of the registering device and operates it atpredetermined intervals, substantially as described.

2. In a registering device, the combination of a-series of wheelsmounted'upon a shaft, each of said wheels being provided upon itsperiphery with indentations which vary in depth,and type or other devicefor registering or indicating, with a rocking or recipro' cating frameprovided with a series of pawls suitably mounted to engage theindentations in the wheels and arranged so that one or more of saidpawls may engage the indentations while the others are out ofengagement, with a time mechanism consisting of a timetrain and anescapement connected by a mutilated gear, the teeth of which form asegment of 'a circle and which meshes with a pinion of the escapement,and the arbor upon which said gear is mounted being provided with apinion engaging the time-train, and a crank which engages and operatesthe rocking pawl-frame, substantially as described.

3. In ar'egis'tering device, the combination of a series of wheelsmounted upon a shaft, each of said wheels being provided upon itsperiphery with indentations which vary in depth, and type or otherdevice for registering or indicating. with a rocking or reciprocatingframe provided with a series of pawls suitably mounted to engage theindentations in the wheels and arranged so that one or more of saidpawls may engage the indentations while the others are out ofengagement, with a time-train and an escapement connected by a mutilatedgear, the teeth of which form a segmentof a circle and which meshes witha pinion of the escapement, and the arbor upon which said gear ismounted being provided with a pinion engaging the time-train, and acrank which engages and operates the rocking pawl-frame, and thetime-train being so geared to the mutilated gear that the period duringwhich the teeth of the gear engage the escapement shall be fifty-nineand a fraction seconds, substantially as described. 4. In a registeringdevice, the combination of a series of wheels mounted upon a shaft, eachof said wheels being provided upon its face with indentations of varyingdepth and length and registering type, several of said wheels havingtwelve indentations and one of said wheels having ten indentations, theindentations in the wheel having ten being considerably longer on theface of the wheel than those in the wheel having twelve, with arockingframe and a series of pawls mounted pivotally therein'engagingtheindentations in said wheel, said pawls being rigidly secured togetherand varying in elevation, and a means for imparting motion to said pawlsof an extent equal to one-tenth of arevolution of the type-wheel, thepawls which engage the typewheel having ten notches and those havingtwelve notches falling into said notches at the same time, but that pawlengaging the wheel having ten notches biting upon said notch in such amanner as to move the wheel forward some time before the pawl fallinginto the notch of the wheel having twelve notches engages the end ofsaid notch and IOU between one-tenth and one-twelfth of the cir- V 5. Ina registering device, the combination I the portion of a completerevolution of the of a series of wheels mounted upon a shaft, ltype-wheels which is equal to the distance be- I5 each of said wheelsbeing provided upon its t tween the centers of the types upon the wheelface with indentations of varying depths and having the smallest numberof types, substan- 5 registering type, said wheels bearing unequaltially as described.

numbers of registering types, and the spaces In testimony that-I claimthe foregoing as between the types in different Wheels beingmyinvention-I have signed my name,in pres- 20 of different lengths, witha rocking frame and ence of two witnesses, this 11th day of Sepa seriesof pawls mounted pivotally therein tembcr, 1889.

to engaging the indentations in said wheel, said pawls being rigidlysecured together and va- EDWIN W. MORTON. Witnesses:

rying in elevation, and means for imparting s JAMES L. STEUART, motionto said pawls to an extent equal to WM. H. CARR.

